THE WRENS. 317 



with a few reddish-brown spots, intermixed with tiny dots, 

 and generally congregated at the larger end, while in some 

 specimens the dots are sprinkled all over the egg. Axis 

 0-65-07 inch; diam., 0-5-0-55. (Plate xxx., fig. 4.) 



II. THE S. KILDA WREN. ANORTHURA HORTENSIS. 



Troglodytes hirtensis, Seebohm, Zoologist, 1884, p. 333; id. 

 Br. B., iii., p. 661 (1885). 



Adult Male. Similar to A. troglodytes, but larger. It is sup- 

 posed to be more distinctly barred on the upper surface, and 

 to have the throat and breast free from any spots, Culmen, 

 0-55; wing, 2-1 ; tail, 1-5; tarsus, 0-75. 



NOTE. The larger size of the eggs of the S. Kilda Wren is the only 

 test of the difference between it and the bird of the mainland, which we 

 are able to recognise. The characters of the barred back and the un- 

 spotted throat are not really features for the separation of the island form, 

 as they are equally found in examples from other parts of Europe. 



Habits. Mr. Dixon, who brought from S. Kilda the speci- 

 mens originally described by Mr. Seebohm, gives the following 

 account of the bird : " I had not been on S. Kilda long 

 before the little bird arrested my attention, as it flew from rock 

 to rock, or glided in and out of the crevices of the walls. It 

 differs very little in its habits from its congener ; only, instead 

 of hopping restlessly and incessantly about brushwood, it has 

 to content itself with boulders and walls. It was in full song, 

 and its voice seemed to me louder and more powerful than 

 that of the Common Wren. I often saw it within a few feet of 

 the sea, hopping about the rocks on the beach ; and a pair 

 had made their nest in the wall below the manse, not thirty 

 yards from the waves. I also saw it frequently on the tops of 

 the hills, and in many parts of the cliffs. It was especially 

 common on Boon, and its cheery little song sounded from all 

 parts of the rocks. 



"As there are no bushes nor trees on S. Kilda (except 

 those the microscopic eye of a botanist might discover), the 

 Wren takes to the luxuriant grass, sorrel, and other herbage 

 growing on the cliffs, and picks its insect food from them. It 

 also catches spiders and the larvae of different insects in the 

 nooks and crannies which it is incessantly exploring. It is a 

 pert, active little bird, by no means shy ; and I used to watch 



